Paid parking is set to become a whole lot easier for Brisbane motorists, with a new pay-by-app provider launching from 17 March.
The Schrinner Council is expanding Brisbane’s digital parking system to include two providers, with PayStay joining existing operator CellOPark.
The move will give drivers greater flexibility to choose their preferred app while improving reliability and convenience as more motorists switch to digital payments.
PayStay has operated since 2014 and is widely used across Australia, including in the City of Sydney, City of Yarra, Mornington Peninsula and by Griffith University.
Brisbane has been a leader in parking innovation since introducing pay-by-app technology in 2009.
Today more than half of the city’s 4.5 million annual parking transactions are made through an app.
The expansion to two providers reflects the growing popularity of digital payments, with credit-card meter transactions falling 18 per cent since 2020.
PayStay began operating in 2014 and currently operates across Griffith University campuses at Mt Gravatt, Nathan, Logan and the Gold Coast, as well as councils in New South Wales and Victoria.
Greater uptake of digital parking will also reduce reliance on physical meters, which cost about $1.7 million each year to maintain.
App-only parking has continued to expand across Brisbane, with around 2600 of the city’s 8350 paid parking spaces already operating as digital-only.
Signs will be progressively installed from next week, informing motorists of the new pay-by-app option.
Information on parking zones, fees and approved apps is available on Council’s website.
Quotes attributable to Chair for Infrastructure, Cr Ryan Murphy:
“We believe more choice for residents is always a good thing and parking apps are no different.
“Demand for digital parking has only grown since its introduction and this change makes it even easier to pay and go.
“More choice, while ensuring the system is reliable and convenient, is fantastic news for drivers as our city grows.
“More than half of all parking payments in Brisbane are now made through an app, showing just how quickly people have shifted to faster digital options.
“Pay-by-app parking removes the guesswork because drivers only pay for the time they actually use.
“It’s a simpler and smarter way to park and it’s why more Brisbane motorists are switching to digital payments.”
